The Coalition's low fibre diet
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Twisted Wire eavesdrops on this week's telecommunications debate at the National Press Club and questions the merits of the Opposition's broadband election policy.
Tony Smith announced his party's alternative to the National Broadband Network (NBN) on Tuesday, just moments before debating the industry's future alongside Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and Greens Senator Scott Ludlam.
The Coalition wants more private sector involvement, with a stronger regulator, but there is public money to fund fixed wireless broadband in areas where DSL is not an option. The party says that this, combined with existing infrastructure, will deliver 12Mbps or more to 97 per cent of all premises. It sounds like a promise the Labor Party made on its way into this current term of government.
In this week's program, as well as dipping into the National Press Club discussion, we hear the views of two independent industry analysts, Kevin Morgan and Paul Budde. They each have different ideas on how to progress faster broadband for Australia, although both seem to agree that there needs to be more focus on the development of applications and services to drive the demand.
Running time: 33 minutes, 16 seconds